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Govt's guidelines to churches and mosques won't work – Lawrence Tetteh

Dr. <a href="https://www.pulse.com.gh/news/local/lawrence-tetteh-begs-akufo-addo-to-reconsider-ban-on-churches-and-mosques/40mvbf2">Lawrence Tetteh</a>, President of the Worldwide Miracle Outreach has said the government's guidelines to churches and mosques to ease restrictions on religious activities in the country amid <a href="https://www.pulse.com.gh/news/local/here-are-the-protocols-churches-and-mosques-need-to-follow-in-the-fight-against-covid/lvdcpe6">COVID-19</a> won't work.
Dr Lawrence Tetteh
Dr Lawrence Tetteh

He said many of the guidelines are ambiguous and thus require further dialogue and consensus with relevant stakeholders.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday, June 1, 2020, lifted the ban on religious gatherings under strict control measures.

He said churches and mosques have been limited to a maximum of 100 people with services not exceeding one hour with a mandatory one-meter rule of social distancing between congregants.

According to him, religious leaders must enforce the wearing of facemasks, mandatory hand washing, and provide a register of all attendants for easier contact-tracing.

He said "Religious institutions that are desirous of opening their premises to their members, such as churches, mosques, and others, must disinfect, fumigate and put in place the requisite logistics needed to guarantee safe opening and operation.

"They must work with the designated, regulatory bodies and undertake test runs of the protocols I have outlined. I would appeal to them, in the case of Christians, on the first Sunday of re-opening, i.e. 7th June, in the case of the Adventists, Saturday, 6th June, and in the case of Muslims, on the first Friday, i.e. Salat Al-Jumu'ah on 5th June, to dedicate their worship to prayers for the nation in these challenging times."

Dr. Lawrence Tettheh, the International Evangelist speaking on the guidelines to churches said some of the persons that may have drafted the guidelines are not spiritual enough to ensure a balanced document.

"Most people who end up in advising on some of these things are not as religious as some of us are and that is why everybody is needed," he added.

"Most of the things there are not workable and I've heard this morning and yesterday that a lot of churches have even decided not to go back to church because they cannot adhere to the conditions and certainly when the president speaks its very important nobody speaks against the president’s order because Christianity is orderly and of course we must respect our leaders," Dr. Lawrence said.

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